Control mechanism



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Patented F eb. 14, 1939 UNiTED STATES 2,146fs4s coNreoL MEcnANrsM Chester A. Purdy, Hinsdale, and William B. Wines, Elmhurst, lll., assignors to Western Electric Company, Incorporated, New York, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application June 25, 1936, Serial No. 87,234 11 Claims. (Cl. 16d-43) 'I'his invention relates tocontrolmechanism for material handling orworking apparatus, and more particularly to an' adjustable control for l selectively timing the operation of various de- 5 vices in a material handling or working apparatus under control of the material worked or handled.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a simple control mechanism selectively' operable to control the sequence of operation of various devices in a material handling or working apparatus.

In accordance with one embodiment of the invention as applied to a semi-automatic condenser winding apparatus, a roller driven by the paper being wound into a condenser drives a' commutator which, through;v the making and breaking of an electrical circuit thereby, operates selector switches of the type commonly used in automatic telephone exchange equipment. The contacts of the selector switches are connected to plugs which may be inserted in selected jacks in a switchboard, thereby to selectively control the operation of the various devices in the winding machine in accordance with'the amount of paper which has been fed.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will more fully appear from the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, wherein the single iigure shows diagrammatically `a condenser wind-l ing machine with an electrical. control circuit embodying the invention.

Referring now to the drawing wherein the numeral I designates generally a condenser winding machine in which four servings of paper and two servings of metallic foil are drawn from paper rolls 2, 3, 4 and 5 and foil rolls 6 and 1 by an arbor 8. The structural details of a suitable winding machine are disclosed in Reissue Patent 19,320 to Chester A. Purdy, issued September 18, 1934, and are therefore not shown in detail herein.

'I'he arbor 8 draws the serving of foil from roll 5 and the servings of paper from the rolls 2 and 3 over a shearing platen 9, suitable guide rollers 'being provided for directing the foil and paper to the platen 9. The serving of foil from the roll 'I passes over suitable guides and a oshearing platen I0, and thence to the arbor 8, whereas the servings of paper from the rolls 4 and 5 pass under the platen Ill. 'I'he separation of the foil and paper servings at the platen I0 permits the two different materials to be separately sheared by knives Il and I2 which are provided for that purpose. A knife I3 is provided for shearing the paper from rolls 2 and 3 and the foil from roll 6.

The knife I3 is carried by a bell crank leve!l I4 'pivoted at l5 and having its short armI I6 5 connected to one end of a tension spring I'I` Tension in the spring II tends to move the bell cranklever I4 ina clockwise direction, but the knife is normally held in a raised position by a latch I8 engaging a catch I 9 integral with the 10 bell crank lever I4.

. .A portion of the latch I8 serves as an armature for an electromagnet 20 so that when the electromagnet 20 is energized the latch will be rocked on its pivot 2| to release it from engage- 15 ment with its catch I9 and thus permit the energy stored in the spring I'I to force the knife I3 into shearing relation with the platen 9 to sever the paper and foil as they pass over the platen toward the arbor 8. The knives II and I2 are operated in the same manner as'the knife I3, being operable under control of a pair of electromagnets 30 and 3I, respectively, similar to the electromagnet 20.

Mechanism is provided for automatically controlling the operation oi the knives II, I2 and I3 in any desired sequence and after a predetermined selected amount of material has been wound on the arbor 8. This mechanism includes a roller 32 rotatable on the free end of a lever 30 33 pivoted at 34. The roller 32 which rests on the roll of paper 4 and will bedriven thereby has a commutator 35 xed thereto, comprised of insulating portions 36 and conducting portions 31 connected to ground at 38 through the lever 35 33. The roller 32 and lever 33 aresufiiciently heavy to hold the roller in engagement with the roll of paper 4 by the force of gravity.` 'Ihus the roller with its 'commutator provides the initial element of a measuring` systems deter- 40 minations of the length of material being wound.

Mounted in engagement with the commutator 35 is a brush 39 which wipes over the surface of the commutator to periodically continue the circuit from ground'at 38 to an armature 40 of a 45 relay 4I as the commutator rotates.

The ground path over the armature 40 of relay 4I will be continued to one side of the winding of an electromagnet 42 or to one side 50 of the winding of an electromagnet 43, depending upon the position of theparmat'ure 40 under v control of the relay 4I. The electromagnets 42 and 43 and a similar electromagnet 44 constitute the operating mechanism for three selector switches designated/generally by the numerals 45, 46 and 41, respectively.

A manually operable key 48 is provided for connecting grounded battery at 49 to one side of the winding of the electromagnets 42, 43 and 44 when the apparatus is being used, and a signal light 50 is connected to one side of the key 48 so that when the key is operated a circuit will be completed through the lamp 50 to ground at 5| to light the lamp indicating that the control apparatus is in operation. The selector switches 45 and 41 count the number of rotations of the commutator 35 due to circuit connections which will be described more in detail hereinafter, and theselector switch 46 controls the operation of the electromagnets 20, 30 and 3| in the condenser winding machine in a predetermined selected sequence, as determined by the interconnection of circuits at a switchboard indicated generally by the numeral 52. l

The selector switches 45, 46 and 41 are of the type used in automatic telephone equipment and comprise a plurality of banks of contacts and a brush associated with each bank, there being twenty-two contacts in each bank. The switches may be of the type disclosed in Patent No. 1,472,465, issued October 30, 1923 to O. F. Forsberg et al. The selector switch 45 includes three banks of contacts 60, 6| and 62, and the banks of contacts have brushes 63, 64 and 65, respec' tively, associated therewith. All `of the brushes of the selector switch 45 are mounted upon a common shaft 66 rotatable by a pawl and ratchet mechanism (not shown) which operate under spring pressure upon release ofothe electromagnet 42 as is usual in such switches. is a bridging brush which engages two adjacent contacts at a time, whereas the brushes 63 and 65 are not of the bridging type for a purpose which will become apparent as the description progresses.

The selector switch 41 includes three banks of contacts 10, 1|,"and 12, and three brushes 13, 14. and 15 mounted on a shaft 16 operable under control of electromagnet 44. The brush 14 is a .br'idging'brush and brushes 13 and 15 are non- V,bridging laswere the corresponding brushes in selector switch 45. Selector switch 46 is of the same construction as the other two switches, ex-

cept thatthasfour brushes 80, 8|, 82 and 83 associated withfour banks of contacts 84, 85, 86 and 81. `Brush 8| is a bridging brush and brushes 80, 82 and 83 are non-bridging and all of them are mounted upon a shaft 88 operable under control of electromagnet 43. Y The selector switches as pointed out hereinbefore have twenty-two contacts in each of their banks.y In the ,normal position of the switches, (as shown), the brushesvon all of the banks are engaging contacts not connected to any other parts of the apparatus. In the banks 62, 12, 86 and 81 the remaining 21 contacts are connected in multiple through cables 90, 9|, 92 and 93 to rows of jacks 94, 95, 96-and 91, respectively, in the switchboard 52. Each of the rows of jacks 94, 95, 96 and 91 have twenty-one jacks numbered to 2|, consecutively, from bottom to top, and these jacks are, 'as hereinbefore mentioned, connected to the contacts numbered I to 2| in the banks of contacts, respectively. A fth row 98 of jacks is also provided in the switchboard 52, which jacks are connected to various pieces of apparatus, in the manner to be described, extra jacks being providedin. the row 98 for connection to apparatus other than that shown if The brush 64 it is desired to provide a control for more parts than are necessary in the present disclosed embodiment of the invention.

The fourth jack from the bottom in the row 98 is connected to one side of the winding of the electromagnet 3|; the fifth jack in row 98 is connected to the winding of electromagnet 20; the sixth jack in row 98 is connected to the winding of electromagnet 30; the seventh jack in row 98 is connected to an armature and one side of the winding of a relay |0| and to the Winding and an armature of relay 4|; the eighth jack in row 98 is connected to ground at 99; the tenth jack in row 98 is connected to the winding of electromagnet 44, and the eleventh jack is connected to one side of the filament of a lamp |00. the other side of the filament of which may be connected through the key 48 to grounded battery at 49. A relay |02 having one side of its winding connected to the common lead for relays 4| and |0| is also provided for a purpose which will become apparent as the description progresses.

The switchboard 52 permits the jacks in row 98 to be selectively connected through double ended cords |03, |04, |05, |06, |01, |08 and |09 to any desired jacks in the rows 94, 95, 96 and 91. By connecting the jacks in the switchboard 52 the desired sequence of operations may be obtained. In the embodiment shown the lamp |00 will be lighted at a predetermined time as determined by the connections in the switchboard to indicate to the operator that metallic condenser terminals should be inserted between windings of foil and paper Wound on the arbor 8, and at a later time in the cycle the cut off knives l2 and 3 may be operated in any desired sequence automatically after a predetermined selected amount of paper has been drawn from the roll 4.

Each time the commutator 35 makes one revolution it will make and break its circuit from ground to the armature 40 of relay 4| twice. Each time ground is applied to the armature 40, an electrical circuit will be completed from ground at 38 through the lever 33 and commuta-J tor 35, armature 40 -to one side of the winding of the electromagnet 42 if relay 4| is not energized. It being assumed at this time that the key 48 has been clo'sed, the circuit preparediby the commutator 35 will be completed through battery to ground at 49, thereby energizing electromagnet 42 and holding it energized until the circuit is again broken at the commutator.

As pointed out hereinbefore, each time an electromagnet such as the electromagnet 42 is energized, it will prepare its shaft 66 for rotation, and

.upon deenergization of the electromagnet the Therefore' rotation of the shaft will take place. each time the circuit to the electromagnet 42 under control of the commutator 35 is made and broken, the brushes 63, 64 and 65 will be stepped from one contact to another on their associated banks of contacts.

With the switchboard 52 connected in themanner shown, the brushese63, 64 and 65 will be moved over the contacts of their associated banks until they engage the eighth contact in their banks, at which time ground connected to brush will be connected through double ended cord |03 and the eleventh jack in the row 98 to the filament of the lamp |00, which will immediately light since the key 48 has been closed and the circuit path through the lamp will be continued to ground at 49. The lamp |00 will remain lighted for a short time while brush 65 engages its eighth' contact indicating, for example, that the operator is to insert a terminal into the condenser being wound on `the arbor 8.

.in row 94, double-ended cord |04, tenth jack in row 98 to the winding of the electromagnet 44. Electromagnet 44 will thereby be energized over a path from grounded battery at 49 through winding of electromagnet 44 and tenth jack in row 98 to ground over the circuit justtraced, causing the brushes 13, 14, and 15 to move onto contact numbered I. Continued rotation of the commutator 35 will cause the brushes 63, 64 and 65 to be stepped successively into engagement withall of their contacts until brush 65 again engages its eighth contact, whereupon the lamp will again be lighted and the brushes will' continue to move over their contacts until brush 65 again engages its thirteenth contact to transmit another pulse through the electromagnet 44,

thereby causing the brushes 13, 14 and 15 to engage the second contacts in their associated banks 10, 1| and 12, respectively. As the brush engages the second contact in its bank 12, ground at the brush 15 will be connected to the second jack from the bottom in row 95, and through double ended cord |06 to the seventh jack in row 98 and thence through the winding of relay 4| and operated key 48 to grounded battery 49 energizing relay 4|.

Upon energization of. relay 4|u armature 40 will be shifted from its break to its make contact," and will be held in that position so long as brush 15 remains on its second contact. The relay 4| will also attractanother armature l0 to connect ground at over an armature H2, and a break contact of relay |02 now deenergized to lock the relay l4| in its operated position until relay |02 is energized.

The next time the commutator 35 is connected to ground'at '38, this ground connection will be connected over 'armature 40' of relay 4| to one side of the winding of electromagnet 43 the other side of the winding of which has been connected to grounded battery at 49 through the operation of key 48. As soon as the circuit from ground is broken at the commutator 35, electromagnet 43 will be deenergized to move its brushes 80, 8|, 82 and 83 into engagement with the first contacts on their associated banks.

When relay 4| is energized, ground at will be connected through armature ||2 of relay |02, armature of relay 4| to the winding of relay |0| i which will thus be energized since the other side 10 and contacts 2 to 2|v in bank 1|.

of its winding is connected to at 49. Energization of relay |0| connects ground at over its armature 2| to contacts to 2| in bank 60 and contacts 2 to 2| in bank 6|, and over its armature |22 to contacts to2| in bank Relay |0| will remain locked operated until relay 02 is energized, since ground is connected to the winding of relay ||l| over the armature ||2`of relay |02, and armature ||0l of relay 4|.

The ground on contacts to 2| in banks 60 and 10 will cause selector switches 45 and 41 to operate rapidly until the brushes 63 and 13 reach their associated zero or normal positions. As soon as brushes 63 and 13 reach their zero'position, ground at |20 will no longer be connected through the brushes to the armatures of electrogrounded battery magnets 42 and 44 and the brushes wilistop 1n until the other brush reaches normal.

their zeroposition. If one of the brushes 63 or 13 reaches normal before the other, it will stop in that position and relay |0| will remain energized It is in this manner that selector switches 45 and 41 are restored to normal. v

-' During the period when switches 45 and 41 were being restored to zero, the commutator 35 continued to'send impulses over armature 40 of relay 4| to the electromagnet 43 causing its operation to step its associated brushes 80, 8|, 82 and 83 into engagementwith succeeding contacts on the banks of contacts 84, 85, 86 and 81, respectively. As brush 83 engaged its third contact, it connected grounded battery at 49 through operated key 48, brush 83, third contact in bank 81, third jack from bottom row 91, cord |01, sixth jack in row 98 and winding of electromagnet 30 to ground, thereby energizing electromagnet 30 and operating shear knife tinued moving over its contacts in bank 81, it in time engaged contacts 6 and 8 connected by cords |08 and |09 to the jacks in row 98 connected to the electromagnets 20 and 3|, respectively, to operate knives I3 and l2, respectively, in the same manner that knife was operated.

Simultaneously withthe completion of the operating circuit for electromagnet 3| by brush 83,

brush 82 will connect ground at 99 through cord |05, eighth jack in row 96, eighth contact in bank 86, brush 82, winding of relay |02 through operated. key 48 to grounded battery at 49. Relay 02 will thereby be energized and will lock over a circuit from grounded battery at 49 through operated key 46 winding of relay |02, a locking armature |35, brush 8| strapped contacts of bank 85 and make contact |36 of relay 02 to ground at 'I'his locking ground to relay |02 will be held until brush 8| reaches normal position due to the factthat brush 8| bridges two contacts at all'times. Upon the energization of relay |02, ground at will also be connected through brush 80 and strapped contacts to 2| of bank .84, thereby to cause selector switch 46 to step rapidly to its Inormal position in a manner similar to that depaper fed past the commutator. In this manner an accurate measurement of the amount of paper drawn past the commutator will be made, and the amount of coasting or overrunning of the paper, which varies with the size of the paper roll, will not change the accuracy of the measurements made. The method of removing a wound condenser from the arbor 8 and starting a new winding operation will be\apparent from a consideration of the Purdy reissue patent mentioned hereinbefore.

'For the convenience of the operator under Iunusual conditions, a pair of switches |31 and |38 have been provided. Switch |31, upon operation, will connect ground at |39 to the windings of relays 4I and 10| to restore selector switches45 and 41- to normal and, if the commutator 35 is rotating, to start switch 46 through its cycle to 'operation of the various 46 to normal by connecting ground at |40 to the brushes 80 and 8| and to the winding of relay |02.

It will in general be desirable to have the commutator operating at a fairly rapid rate, so as to provide for iine adjustment of the time of devices controlled thereby. It is within the contemplation of the invention, however, to operate the'commutator during a complete cycle of the machine a sufficiently small number of makes and breaks that only one counting selector switch will be needed, rather than two in tandem as disclosed herein. Although a specific embodiment of the invention has been described, wherein the invention is applied to condenser winding machines, it will be apparent that the invention is subject to many alterations and may be adapted to control many types of machines. For example, the impulse transmitter 35 may be driven by any desired means. Accordingly, the invention is to -be 'limited only by the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In a control device for machines having a plurality of separately operable parts, a commutator driven by material being worked, a selector switch operable under control of the commutator, and a selector switch operable under control of the rst selector switch and connectable to the separately operable parts to control their operation.

2. In machines for winding a plurality of layers of material about an arbor, means for cutting the layers o material separately, means driven by one layer of the material for making and breaking an electical circuit, and selector switches operable by said circuit for operating said cutting means in any selected sequence, said selector switches being of the type operable step by step by electrical impulses transmitted theerto.

3. In machines for winding a plurality of layers of materialabout an arbor, means for cutting the layers of material separately, means driven by one layer of the material for making and breaking an electrical circuit, and selector switches operable` by said circuit for operating said cutting means in any selected sequence after a predetermined selected numberof operations of said circuit making and breaking means.

4. In a machine having material feeding means, and a plurality of separately operable machine parts for performing operations on said material, a control device including a plurality of selector switches operable under control of material being fed, a switchboard, and electrical circuits selectively connectable to said switchboard for operating the said separately operable lmachine parts in any desired sequence.

5. In a machine having material feeding means, and a plurality of separately operable machine parts for performing operations on said material, a control device including a plurality of selector switches operable under control of material being fed, a switchboard, and electrical circuits selectively connectable to said switchboard for operating the said separately operable machine parts in any desired sequence after any predetermined selected amount of materialhas been fed.

l amount of mutator being driven a selector switch operable under control of the 6. In a machine having material feeding means, and a plurality of separately operable machine parts for performing operations on said material, a control device including a switchboard, a plurality of selector switches, a commutator driven by material being fed to control the operation of the selector switches, a switchboard connected to said selector switches, and means selectively operable to connect said selector switches to said separately operable machine parts to control the operation thereof.

'7. In a control apparatus for material handling machines, a circuit making and breaking device operated by material being handled, a pair of electromagnetically operated selector switches controlled by said device for indicating the amount of material handled, a second selector switch controlled by said pair of switches for' preparing a plurality of circuit paths in automatic succession, and selectively operable means for completing selected ones of said circuits.

8. In a control apparatus dling machines, a circuit making and breaking device operated by material being handled, a pair of electromagnetically operated selector switches controlled by said device for indicating the amount of material handled, a second selector switch controlled by said pair of switches for preparing a plurality of circuit paths in automatic succession, and selectively operable means for connecting electrical circuits to selected ones of said prepared paths in any desired sequence.

9. In a control apparatus for material han-v dling machines, a circuit making and breaking device operated by material being handled, a pair of electromagnetically operated selector switches controlled by said device for indicating the material handled, a second selector switch controlled by said pair of switches for preparing a plurality of circuit paths in automatic succession, electrical circuits for controlling various parts of the material handling machine, and means for selectively connecting said circuits to the prepared paths in any desired order to control the time and sequence of operations of said circuits.

10. In a control device for machines having a plurality of separately operable parts, a commutator being driven by material being worked, a selector switch operable under control of the commutator, a second selector switch operable under the control of the first selector switch and connectible to the separately operable parts to control their operation, and a means operable under control of said switches for resetting the switches to normal.

11. In a control device for machines having a plurality of separately operable parts, a comby material being worked,

selector switch operable first selector switch and commutator, a second under the control of the for material hanconnectible to the separately operable parts to control their operation, means operable under control of said switches for resetting the switches to normal, and an auxiliary means operable to control the resetting of the switches to normal.

CHESTER A. PURDY. WILLIAM B. WINES. 

